June 30, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
I’ve previously posted about our students making “book trailers” (see Making Book Trailers With Fotobabble and Students Making Video “Book Trailers”)
We ran out of time to do many actual videos, but two students made a simple one that we’ll use as a model for next year. You can see it here.
June 30, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
3 Comments
The title of this post is a abbreviated quote from one of the authors of a study that was released today, and you can read about it at Don’t show, don’t tell?
The research involved giving a toy to children, with different instructions. You can read the details in the article, but here are the conclusions:
These results suggest children are extremely sensitive to the subtleties of a teaching scenario, Schulz says: What matters is not if children are shown a function, but how they are shown that function. If they believe that an informed teacher has taught them everything, they will be less motivated to explore.
…the study underscores the real-world trade-offs between education and exploration, and the importance of acknowledging what is unknown even while imparting what is known. Teachers should, where possible, offer the caveat that there may be more to learn.
“Teachers can say things like, ‘I’m showing you what we think is true, but there are a lot of other possibilities you should consider,’” Schulz says.
This is one of the reasons I’m such a fan of inductive learning, which I discuss at length here in my blog and in my newest book.
June 30, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
2 Comments
Renowned ESL/EFL teacher, researcher and author Paul Nation is particularly known for his work on teaching vocabulary to English Language Learners.
Just by chance I found a site where it seems he’s giving an online course on Teaching ESL/EFL Vocabulary. As far as I can tell, it’s free and open to anyone — if someone knows differently, please let me know.
It’s just started, so it may be a great learning opportunity.
June 30, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
China opens world’s longest sea bridge is the title of a video and pretty spectacular video at The Telegraph. The Atlantic also has some photos.
I’m adding the links to The Best Images Of Spectacular Bridges (& How Students Can Make Their Own).
June 30, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Here are some recent good school reform-related posts from around the Web:
At Proposals for English-Proficiency Tests for the ‘Common Core’, Mary Ann Zehr at Education Week shares links to the proposals to create new state assessments for English Language Learners. I’m adding her post to The Best Resources For Learning About The “Next Generation” Of State Testing.
Helping Teachers Help Themselves is a New York Times article about teacher evaluation in Montgomery County, Maryland. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Effective Student & Teacher Assessments.
John Thompson writes a post titled Rocketship & Khan Academy Not That Impressive where he points out that ed tech is not a magic bullet.
Walt Gardner at Ed Week again makes some good points about international test results. I’m adding his post to The Best Sites For Getting Some Perspective On International Test Comparison Demagoguery.
The New York Times had a good article about class size headlined Tight Budgets Mean Squeeze in Classrooms. Even more interesting, though, were the 155 comments on the New York Times Learning Network site from students about the article. I’m adding both to The Best Resources For Learning About How Class Size Does Matter.
June 30, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
6 Comments
I had published this post a few hours ago, and then it mysteriously disappeared. So I’m trying it again.
I’m trying to “beef-up” my The Best Ways To Keep-Up With Current ELL/ESL/EFL News & Research list, and wanted to ask readers of this blog if you have any suggestions. If you do, please leave them in the comments section.
At the same time, I’m making this additions:
EFL/ESL Articles & Research Papers from The Internet TESL Journal
Thanks!
June 30, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
I regularly highlight my picks for the most useful posts for each month — not including “The Best…” lists. I also use some of them in a more extensive monthly newsletter I send-out. You can see back issues of those newsletters here and my previous Best Posts of the Month at Websites Of The Month.
These posts are different from the ones I list under the monthly “Most Popular Blog Posts.” Those are the posts the largest numbers of readers “clicked-on” to read. I have to admit, I’ve been a bit lax about writing those posts, though.
Here are some of the posts I personally think are the best, and most helpful, ones I’ve written during this past month (not in any order of preference):
June 29, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
This is a great video from CBS News that they label “Crafty pandas mount a daring escape.”
Here’s their commentary:
The plan was simple. One guy distract the guard, the rest make a break for the exit. Almost too easy.
Did I mention we’re talking about pandas?
Pandas are usually slow to act (and even slower to mate.) But sometimes an opportunity is too good to pass up. There’s no mention of how the escape attempt ends, but chances are the pandas didn’t make an epic “Homeward Bound” type journey home.
I’m adding this to The Best Sites To Learn About Pandas.
June 29, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Folder Boy is a new site that lets you make notes and collaborate with others if you want. One of the nice things about it is that it allows you to copy and paste photos directly from the Web.
It’s a little more complicated than I would like, so I’m not adding it to The Best Places Where Students Can Write Online. However, I am placing it on The Best Online Tools For Collaboration — NOT In Real Time list.
Here’s a short video explaining Folder Boy:
June 29, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
I have a huge backlog of resources that I’ve been planning to post about in this blog but, just because of time constraints, have not gotten around to doing. Instead of letting that backlog grow bigger, I regularly grab a few and list them here with a minimal description. It forces me to look through these older links, and help me organize them for my own use. I hope others will find them helpful, too. These are resources that I didn’t include in my “Best Tweets” feature because I had planned to post about them, or because I didn’t even get around to sending a tweet sharing them.
Here are This Week’s “Links I Should Have Posted About, But Didn’t”:
3-D ‘Motion Pictures’ From The Civil War is a series of really cool “animated” photos from the Civil War. You really should check them out. I’m adding the link to The Best Sites For Learning About The American Civil War.
10 Excellent Photography Apps for iPhone Users comes from Smashing Hub. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Beginning iPhone Users Like Me.
Then and Now: Southern California is a good slideshow from CNN. I’m adding it to The Best Sites To Learn About Los Angeles.
What Makes A Good Project? is by Gary Stager. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Cooperative Learning Ideas.
Cambodia: Khmer Rouge tribunal continues is an Associated Press interactive. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Genocide.
Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off is from The New York Times. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Showing Students Why They Should Continue Their Academic Career.
The Evolution Of The Alphabet is a a cool animation showing…how our alphabet evolved.
Global Record on Fighting Slavery is a useful color-coded map from CNN. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Human Trafficking Today.
Here are some other regular features I post in this blog:
“The Best…” series (which now number 700)
The most popular posts on this blog each month
My monthly choices for the best posts on this blog each month
Each month I do an “Interview Of The Month” with a leader in education
Periodically, I post “A Look Back” highlighting older posts that I think are particularly useful
Resources that share various “most popular” lists useful to teachers
Interviews with ESL/EFL teachers in “hot spots” around the world.
Articles I’ve written for other publications.
Regular “round-ups” of good posts and articles about school reform
June 29, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Here’s my monthly round-up of new “The Best…” lists I posted in June:
The Best Posts/Articles On National Research Council Finding That Carrots & Sticks Don’t Work — June, 2011
The Best Posts About Attrition Rates At So-Called “Miracle” Schools — June, 2011
The Best Resources On Students Using Gestures & Physical Movement To Help With Learning — June, 2011
The Best Resources For Learning About The Four School Improvement Grant Models — June, 2011
The Best Resources For Learning About The “Next Generation” Of State Testing — June, 2011
The Best Sites For Learning About The Puyehue Volcano Eruption in Chile — June, 2011
The Best Sites For Learning About The Arizona Fire — June, 2011
The Best Resources For Learning About Teens & Stress — June, 2011
So, You Want To Write A Book? Here’s The Best Advice… — June, 2011
The Best Resources On The “Summer Slide” — June, 2011
The Best YouTube Channels For Learning English — June, 2011
The Best Posts & Articles About Curation — June, 2011
June 28, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Concept Board is very easy to use screensharing tool. After registration, you can create up to twenty-five Concept Boards for free. You click on “new Concept Board” and you have one — you can upload presentations, make comments, draw on it, etc. All you have to do is share its url address to others so they can gain access to it, too.
I’m adding it to The Best Online Tools For Real-Time Collaboration.
June 28, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
The U.S. Census has just unveiled an interactive map that lets you access data for different communities and census tracts.
They haven’t release information for all the states yet, but it’s a start.
Thanks to Google Maps Mania for the tip.
June 28, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Both in my book and here on this blog (see The Best Resources For Learning About The Importance Of “Grit”), I have written about the research that shows that grit/perseverance is so incredibly important to success — and how to apply that research in the classroom.
This polar bear cub knows all about perseverance and how it pays off:
June 28, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Today, Google unveiled a neat new site called “What Do You Love?”
You type in a search term, and the results show relevant results from all Google products.
It might prove useful for research, or it might just end up being cool and relatively useless.
Thanks to TechCrunch for the tip.
June 28, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
As regular readers know, in addition to teaching English and Social Studies classes, I teach an International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge course (you can see our TOK class blog here). It’s a lot of fun.
Periodically, I share TOK-related resources for other TOK teachers.
I now have over 400 Delicious links sorted into appropriate TOK categories that can be accessed here.
During the second semester of the class, we review the chapterin my book on the qualities of a good lesson, and then students — in small groups — prepare and teach short lessons to other small groups in the class. We focus on a different Way of Knowing or Area of Knowledge each week, and they can select any of my Delicious links in those categories. They have to frame their lesson as a Knowledge Issue, and both “teachers” and “students” evaluate the lessons. They usually go quite well.
If you have addition TOK-related resources I should add to my links collection, please leave them in the comments.
June 27, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
July 1st is Canada Day and I’ve just updated The Best Sites To Learn About Canada.
Additional recommendations are always welcome.
June 27, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
3 Comments
The posting of my last “The Best…” list brought their total number up to 700 — yup, 700 categorized and continually updated “The Best…” lists on all subjects.
You can find them categorized by subject here and listed chronologically here.
The original date of their posting, at least for most of them, don’t have much relevance since I’m continually updating them.
When I started making these lists, I don’t think I ever imagined I’d get up to 700 — who knows how many more I’ll be adding in the future?
They have been very helpful to my students and me. I hope you’ve found them useful, too.
June 27, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
PBS Learning Media is launching today. This is how they describe it:
PBS LearningMedia is a dynamic platform offering the best of public media content and produced specifically for PreK-16 teachers. With free access to over 14,000 high-quality resources tied to national standards, teachers can download, save and share exactly what they need…
I’ve just begun to explore it, and haven’t quite figured out the differences between this new site and the other resources PBS has, like PBS Kids, but I’ll let you know what I figure out. Feel free to leave comments about, too.
June 26, 2011
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
I’ve just sent out the latest issue of my free monthly email newsletter. You can see this month’s issue here, and the archives here.
You can subscribe to it here.
It has about 1,300 subscribers now.
